“I will give you shepherds after My own heart.” Jeremiah 3:15 NIV
“A leader’s life speaks with more authority than their words ever could.”
My thoughts and comments today are about “a shepherd’s heart.”
Everyone needs someone to look after them. Life is pretty lonely if you don’t have company on your journey. But you need more than companionship; you need leadership as well, to provide you with Godly example, words of encouragement, wise counsel, loving correction, and watchful protection among other things. A leader leads by their example and experience, even more than by their words. A leader’s life speaks with more authority than their words ever could.
What you need God promises to supply. The Bible says, “My God will supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NKJV. I would say that Godly leadership would be included in that promise. Leadership has to be invited and valued; true leadership will never be imposed against your will and welcome. It being true that you need leadership, God has provided that for you if you are willing to ask and accept it. Most of the time, the problem is not a lack of leadership being provided; more often it is our lack of “followship” in return.
God’s promise to Israel was, “I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15 NIV. Don’t fall for any and everyone who says, “Follow me!” See where they are going and maybe even where they have been. You want a shepherd who has a clear sense of direction as well as the “knowledge and understanding” that will bring you safely where God is leading. The verse above says God will give you “shepherds after His own heart.” A leader without the Good Shepherd’s heart will not likely succeed in bringing you closer to the Good Shepherd!
David was that kind of leader. God Himself described David as “a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” Acts 13:22 NKJV. One of my favorite descriptions of David is God’s testimony about him, “He chose David, also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds . . So David fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.” Psalm 78:70-72 KJV. Notice carefully the multiple and significant combinations of words in God’s description of David – fed them, led them – integrity, skillfulness – heart, hands! That’s not just the leader you want to follow; that’s the leader you want to become.
A Godly leader who can be described as “after God’s own heart” is not single faceted; they have integrity of heart before God and man, and skillfulness of hand to serve well those they lead. Receive freely from a leader with integrity, who possesses the true spirituality of Godly character; follow fearlessly a leader who skillfully brings you closer to Jesus.
My prayer for you today is to learn that only a good follower can become a great leader.